Once And Future
by turbomagnus
Summary: King Arthur and the Knights of Justice - After returning to the future, Arthur is no longer sure who he is anymore. Seeking answers, he travels to England to the place Camelot once stood...


Author's Note: I actually think this might be the first "King Arthur and the Knights of Justice" story on Fanfiction, I haven't found any others, so that means it is possible not many readers are familiar with the show. Short version; Morgana captures King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and imprisons them in a magic cave. Merlin does his best to protect Camelot, but weakens after a battle and Morgana's army, her Warlords, capture Guinevere. Merlin, with the help of the Lady of the Table, reaches into the future and summons replacements for King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table; the New England Knights college football team led by team captain and quarterback Arthur King. Each player is a direct parallel to one of the Knights and takes their place with Arthur King taking King Arthur's, rescue the Queen and begin a quest seeking the Keys of Truth that will free the real Arthur and his Knights. Unfortunately, they never succeeded as the series was cancelled after two seasons without all the Keys collected, the Knights freed or Morgana defeated, Camelot saved and the team returned to their own time.

This story is simply my attempt to provide closure to a series that failed to get an ending.

Disclaimer: King Arthur and the Knights of Justice belongs to C&D Entertainment and Bohbot Entertainment, along with Golden Films, and is used solely for entertainment purposes without intent to profit.

* * *

"Once And Future"  
by J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

* * *

Arthur King looked out over the water with the depression he had felt over the past months magnified.

"It was a mistake to come here," Arthur sighed, "I was never meant to be here, was I?"

It had been seven months for him, seven months and what felt like a lifetime since the final Key of Truth had been recovered and the true Arthur Pendragon, King of the Britons, and his knights were rescued from the Cave of Glass. Seven months since Merlin's deception had been revealed.

He still remembered the look on her face when her suspicions came true.

Not everyone had come back. They had been returned to the future the same day they were taken from, but with a staged bus accident to explain the loss of three players and the equipment manager. Gallop and Darren had decided to remain behind and with the permission of the true King Arthur become Knights of the Round Table themselves, not just as Merlin's chosen replacements; Tone and Lug had also stayed in Camelot, continuing on as blacksmith-inventor and trainer of the squires, respectively, all four substituted with fake bodies in the present after the four's 'deaths' in the team's 'bus accident'.

That was seven months ago. Seven months. The words kept playing in Arthur's head like a heartbeat, bum-bum, bum-bum, seven months, seven months...

On a whim, Arthur paced out the distance from where the cliff walls had been to where the Table Room once stood and took a deep breath.

"I am Arthur King, I pledge fairness to all, to defend the weak and vanquish the evil!"

When nothing happened, Arthur slowly let out his breath and looked around.

"...Didn't think so..."

Arthur sat down in the grass with another sigh, "After all, how can I know what I pledge if I'm not even sure who I am any more, Arthur King, quarterback of the Knights or Arthur, King of the Britons?"

With a groan, he laid back and closed his eyes, thinking of football teams and days of swords and sorcery...

* * *

"Knights, Knights, Knights!"

"...Of Justice, we pledge fairness to all, to defend the weak and vanquish the evil!"

"...Hail Arthur, Once and Future..."

"King! You're the quarterback, that means that you gotta use judgement, it's not all about running and hitting out there, son..."

"A knight is virtuous..."

"Patience is a virtue, King, stop charging into things and use your brain."

"A knight is never failing in his duty..."

"As Captain, you've got a duty to the team, King. Not just to see that we win games, but that we do it right. We're the Knights, not the Outlaws or the Renegades."

"And then, from the fields of the future, a new king will come to save the world of the past..."

"When you're out there on that field, it's not about you anymore, it's about the team."

"Good morning, Arthur..."

"King! Wake up!"

* * *

"Hey, did you hear me? I said to wake yourself up!" A woman's voice broke through Arthur's haze, "God, you'd best be only sleeping, I don't care to have to spend the rest of my day with the cops if you're dead, I'll tell you that."

Arthur groaned again as he pushed himself into a sitting position and opened his eyes just enough to let in the hints of light that were breaking through the clouds, "Even if I was dead, you're talking loud enough that I'd wake up..."

"Well, that was rather rude," the woman's voice answered harshly, "If you're going to sleep somewhere, you should ruddy well be doing it in your own blasted bed, not out here where some woman out and about might think she's come across some dead body and be scared out of her wits."

Blinking, Arthur managed to open his eyes the rest of the way, taking in the sight of the redhead standing there with her hands on her hips and eyes narrowed at him before he climbed to his feet, "Well, considering this is out in the middle of nowhere by the seaside, I wasn't exactly expecting company while I took a break. If you're going to lecture me, you could at least give me your name first, you know."

"Right sorry, Gwen Queen," the redhead extended her hand, "Short for Guineviere, you know."

Arthur blinked in surprise, "Really?"

"Don't start, I've heard all the jokes."

"I wouldn't dare. Besides, so have I," Arthur took her hand, "Arthur King, at your service, milady."

"Well, now," she answered in a somewhat softer tone, "one could dare say this meeting was written in the stars, now, couldn't they?"

"Yes, they could, or maybe Camelot," Arthur agreed, adding to himself, 'Merlin... why do I think you had a hand in this?'

Gwen smiled despite herself, there was something about this man that put her at uncommon ease, "Strange enough that you should say that."

"Oh?"

"I'm a history student," Gwen admitted, "Especially the Arthurian Legends. Actually, I was here today because this is claimed to be one of the possible locations where Camelot itself once stood."

"Really," Arthur raised an eyebrow, "That makes two of us, then."

"Oh, a fellow historian?"

"Football player, actually," he had the decency to look sheepish, "American, here on vacation. Arthurian history's just a hobby, really."

"Hm, well," Gwen shook her head slowly, "You could pick worse hobbies."

"Believe me, I have."

"Oh, really? So, what brought you into the Arthurian Legends?"

"Bus accident a few months ago," Arthur answered carefully, "Four of my teammates died and I ended up taking a long, hard look at myself and my life because of it."

"Well," Gwen winced mentally, "I'm sorry to hear that. Your friends dying, I mean, not you re-examining your life, even if the one did follow the other..."

"It's all right," Arthur interupted her, "I understand what you meant by it."

"Still, rather rude of me to have been shouting at you and all if you're here to get over something like that, isn't it?"

Arthur made a noise that was halfway between a sigh and a chuckle, "Actually, I think I needed that. I was beginning to go past introspection and starting to get morbid."

"Ah, well, there's an old English remedy for morbid and morose moods," Gwen announced, "A pint of bitter and a good chat, and I happen to know a pub in the nearest town where we can find both."

"I might just take you up on the offer, Miss Queen... which way's town?"

Gwen looked around, "About three and a half kilometers... that way."

Arthur did the math in his head, "Say two miles, then. I guess we're walking?"

"Well, I didn't want to bring my Landie out here and end up running over something significant, so of course we're walking," Gwen rolled her eyes.

"Then we'd best get walking," Arthur said, putting his hands in his pockets and starting to put one foot in front of the other with Gwen quickly catching up.

As the two walked away, Arthur glanced back over his shoulder and saw a ghostly figure clad in gold armour standing where the castle gates once stood raise its visor and press its right fist to the faintly visible sword shape on its chestplate. As he felt a burning in his chest, Arthur heard the words faintly on the wind...

'Excalibur... Be My Strength!'


End file.
